Portable conveyer



2 Sheet-Sheet 1 WML www V W. N 1 5 Md ww W. G. BROOKS PORTABLE CONVEYERFiled May 25, 1958 July 16, 1940.

ATTORNEY.

Patented v July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE C'ONVEYERWilliam G. Brooks, Edgewater, N. J. Application May 25, 1938 Serial No.209,8 71 3 Claims. (01. 193- 35)" This invention relates to rollerconveyers and more particularly to types of a portable character as usedin the transference of objects from one place to another by gravity.

6 More especially the invention is designed for service in connectionwith warehouses, in the loading and unloading. of freight delivered inships, trucks and other common carriers, storage I, to bins orto otherconveyances, and is especially adapted to carry granular material, assugar, salt, lime, sand, etc, etc., packed in bags of textile fabric, ineither dry or moist condition.

Such work is'usually done by strong, trained men at an enormous expenseof muscular energy, consuming valuable time, and at a cost which addsmaterially to that of the goods initially.

Notwithstanding the fact that many endeavors have been made to producean acceptable labors'aving device for the foregoing purpose, it does notappear that any have been sufficiently successful in meetingrequirements to warrant extensive introduction.

Having this matter in mind, together with a thorough familiarity withthe prevailing conditions of stevedoring, warehousing and factoryshifting of goods of the type mentioned, it is an object of theinvention to provide a rollerconveyer of such dimensions and weight asto enable it to be carried by one person to wherever it may be neededfor use.

A further feature is in the provision of trestle frame supports for theend portions of the conveyer, whereby it can be adjusted at any desiredinclination, the trestles being movable into any required position.

Another purpose is to arrange, at the discharge end of the conveyer, areceiving apron suited to be serviced by workmen at its side edges in aconvenient manner. Finally, it is an aim to provide a device by whichhard manual labor is greatly reduced and costs correspondingly cut,while safety and speed are attained. 1

These two other analogous objects, which will appear as the descriptionprogresses, are accomplished by the novel and simple construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings constituting an essentialcomponent of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of aconventional truck as being loaded from a warehouse by a conveyer madein accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same but showing the truck floor levelwith a loading platform.

Figure 3 is another like view showing the truck above the platform.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a rear support trestle for theconveyer.

Figure 5 is a front view of the same.

Figure 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view" of the shorter, front trestlesupport for the conveyer.

Figure 8 is a front view of the same.

Figure 9 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the conveyer, parts being broken away toshow the construction. i i

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the conveyer.

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view of the conveyer drawn to anenlarged scale, the roller partially in section.

Figure 13 is a similar view showing an alternative form of rollerbearing construction.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 are shown scenes characteristicallyrepresentative, of the use of embodiments of the invention, in whichfactories or warehouses are generally designated by A. B and C, servicedby commercial haulage trucks D, E; and F. l

The floor and platform G in Figure l, is shown above the level of theflooring of the truck D, while the lower floor H, in building B, issub-. stantially level therewith, and in Figure 3 the lower floor I isbelow that of the truck F.

The building B has an upper floor H, as has also the building 0, as atI, and these upper floors are indicated as provided with travelling beltcarriers K and L respectively, for conveying bags or sacks M to chutes Nfor delivery to the conveyor, the subject of the invention.

The conveyer, as shown in Figures 10 to 13, consists of a pair of rollerchannels 20, Prefer-f ably made of aluminum, because of itssuperiorlightness and strength, arranged in spaced, opposed relation with theirflanges 2l-22 disposed outwardly and their upper inner corners 23rounded and smoothly finished to avoid abrading of articles contactingthem.

The channels are rigidly held in assembled relation by cross bars 24united to their lower flanges 22 and are further secured by diagonallydisposed brace bars 25-26 interjacent the cross bars 24.

A short channel 28 extends across the space at the receiving end of theframe thus formed and in it are set a pair of pins 29 projecting rigidlysil' downward, the purpose of which will later appear.

At the opposite, front end of the conveyer frame is a flat, level apronrigidly secured to the frame sides and supported by braces 3|.

A plurality of rollers are journalled between the frame side members 20in uniformly spaced relation and in such manner that their peripheriesare considerably below the flanges 2|, which act effectively as guidesfor the articles moving over the conveyer and prevent them from slidingoff.

One form of mounting the rollers is shown in Figure 11, in which atubular shell 36, of the requisite diameter and length, has fixed ineach end the outer element of an anti-friction bearing 31, its innerelement being fast upon a shaft 38 havingshoulders abutting the channel20 and extensions 39 passing through openings and clamped firmly by nuts40 on the outer sides of the channels.

In the modification, illustrated in Figure 13, the tubular shell 36 hasfixed in it, midway its length, a roller bearing 42, its inner elementfixed on a shaft 43 reduced at its ends to pass through the channels,and set in the ends of the tube are inreaching collars 44 bored to clearthe shaft 43 under normal conditions but prevent extensive strain uponthe bearing in event the conveyer is unevenly loaded.

The particular form of bearingis immaterial but it is essential that therollers rotate freely and with as little friction as possible.

The diameter of the rollers is preferably onethird the height of thechannel sides, and their axes should not be above the center of thechannels.

Two different heights of trestles are used, that shown in Figures 4, 5and 6, the higher, at the receiving end of the conveyer, while theshorter, shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, is at the delivery end.

The higher trestle, generally designated by the numeral 48, consists offour corner uprights 49--50 connected by a frame 5| at their lower endsand supported on wheels 52 for convenience in moving over a surface.

The tops of the uprights, which may preferably be rolled angles, areconnected at the sides only by cross bars 53, while diagonal braces 54extend between the upper and lower corners.

The rear uprights are cross connected at their tops and midway theirlength by angle bars 5556, and the front uprights 49 have a single crossconnection 51, all these cross bars having paired openings 58 in whichthe pins 29 in the end member of the roller frame may be engaged, thusproviding means for detachably connecting the conveyer at differentlevels.

The front trestle 60 is also formed by four uprights arranged in pairs6l62 respectively at the front and rear, connected at their bottoms by arigid frame 63, cross braced, as at 64, and at their sides only bydiagonal braces 65, and at their upper ends by bars 66.

Wheels 52 support the trestle 60, which has a clear space between itssides, and at the front uprights 6| are set a plurality of headed studs61 by which is adjustably supported a cross bar 68 to receive the front,or delivery end portion of the conveyer.

The sides are further reenforced by two or more pairs of opposed anglebrackets 69 drilled to receive the down-turned, hook-like ends of a stayrod 16, interchangeably engageable in either pair.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the conveyer frame may beadjustably supported by the trestle's so that it can be arranged at anydesired inclination and maintained safely and securely in suchadjustment.

To further retain the conveyer in fixed position relative to thedischarge chutes N, a series of eyebolts H are fixed in the side frames20 and engaged by bands 12 carried on the horizontal portions of thechutes. c

Having thus described the invention and set forth the manner of itsconstruction and application, subject to such changes as may fall withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims, what is claimed as new andsought to secure by- Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a portable roller conveyer, a trestle providedwith wheels, said trestle having a clear space between its sides, headedstuds fixed in the upright members of said trestle at different heights,and a notched bar selectively engageable with said studs, said baradjustably supporting one end portion of the conveyer.

2. A traveling apparatus for loading packages from a high position ontoa vehicle, the latter having its platform relatively low, comprising incombination an inclined roller conveyer section, including a frame, saidsection having a high receiving end and a low delivery end, a highsupport for the receiving end, means relatively movably connecting saidsupport and the associated end, a low support including spaced sides forthe delivery end, said supports having rotary traveling elementsthereon, and means for adjusting the delivery end between said sides,whereby to maintain the inclination of said section while the deliveryend is located over platforms of different height.

3. In an apparatus for loading articles on vehicles, an inclined rollerconveyer having a high article receiving end,v a low front delivery end,a rectangular frame support forthe high end including a horizontal tophaving a back member and an open top front, means connecting said memberand the high end, the latter being passed through the open front, aframe support for the low end including sides having horizontal tops,

front end between said sides.

WILLIAM G. BROOKS.

